Soil drainage trenching and aerating apparatus

ABSTRACT

SOIL DRAINAGE, TRENCHING AND AERATING APPARATUS FOR FORMING AERATING AND DRAINAGE TRENCHES IN TURFED FIELDS. THE APPARATUS IS ADAPTED TO BE DRAWN BEHIND A TRACTOR AND INCLUDES A ROTATABLE TRENCHING WHEEL MOUNTING A PLURALITY OF OPPOSITELY PITCHED AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SOIL REMOVING BLADES FOR REMOVING SUBSOIL TO FORM A TRENCH OF A PREDETERMINED WIDTH. A TORPEDO-SHAPED TRENCH WIDENING DEVICE FOLLOWS IN THE PATH OF THE TRENCHING WHEEL FOR WIDENING DEVICE FOLLOWS IN THE PATH OF THE TRENCHING WHEEL THEREOF BY COMPACTING THE SOIL THEREAROUND. A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED HOPPER, CARRYING TRENCH-FILLING PELLETIZED MATERIAL, IS ALSO PROVIDED FOR FILLING THE TRENCH WITH RANDOMLY ARRANGED PELLETIZED MATERIAL WHICH PERMITS THE SURFACE WATER TO FLOW BETWEEN THE INTERSTICES OF THE PELLETIZED MATERIAL TO THE WIDENED PORTION OF THE TRENCH. CAM APPARATUS, OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE TRENCHING WHEEL, IS PROVIDED TO AGITATE THE TRENCH WIDENING DEVICE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY AGITATE THE HOPPER TO SHAKE THE PELLETIZED MATERIAL FROM THE HOPPER INTO THE TRENCH.

Oct. 12, 1971 H. J. BRETTRAGER 3,611,730

SOIL DRAINAGE TRENCHING AND AERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

INVENTOR HENRY J. BRETTRAGER $0M Autumn 7 dmcau 12, 1971 H. J- BRETTRAGER 3,611,73

SOIL DRAINAGE TRENCHING AND AERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IO HENRY J. BRETTRAGER FIG. 3. Y

rates 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 7 Soil drainage, trenching and aerating apparatus for forming aerating and drainage trenches in turfed fields. The apparatus is adapted to be drawn behind a tractor and includes a rotatable trenching wheel mounting a plurality of oppositely pitched and circumferentially spaced soil removing blades for removing subsoil to form a trench of a predetermined width. A torpedo-shaped trench widening device follows in the path of the trenching wheel for widening a portion of the trench adjacent the bottom thereof by compacting the soil therearound. A pivotally mounted hopper, carrying trench-filling pelletized material, is also provided for filling the trench with randomly arranged pelletized material which permits the surface water to flow between the interstices of the pelletized material to the widened portion of the trench. Cam apparatus, operatively connected with the trenching wheel, is provided to agitate the trench widening device and simultaneously agitate the hopper to shake the pelletized mate rial from the hopper into the trench.

This invention relates to soil trenching and aerating apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for forming a trench having a narrowed upper throat portion communicating with a widened subsurface water drainage portion, and for filling the trench with trench maintaining material which permits drainage therethrough to permit surface water to flow through the narrowed throat portion to the subsurface widened portion.

Adequate drainage of land masses poses serious problems and conventional methods of providing such drainage have generally proved ineffective for their intended purpose. These problems become particularly acute when a turfed land area is under consideration, in that it is generally desirable to maintain the outward appearance of the turf while yet providing adequate drainage of the soil surface. Thus, the normal mode of draining by providing surface trenches is prohibited. It is necessary, therefore, that subsurface trenches be utilized, however, there are many problems attendant with providing subsurface trenches. For example, if the soil near the surface is hard and tightly compacted, as with a turfed football or soccer area, the surface water will not penetrate or drain through the upper crusty surface soil and, hence, little water will reach the subsurface drainage trench. There is a necessity therefore, for a narrowed trench or channel leading from the turf surface to the subsurface trench to permit the surface water to readily reach the subsurface trench. Such a channel, however, will readily refill with soil unless provisions are made for preventing the sides of the channel from caving in. It has been found that plastic pellets or small stones, or other similar aggregates, are suitable for this purpose in that they not only refill the trench with material which keeps the channel from refilling with soil, but also the interstices between the pelletized material provides drainage passages for the surface water.

It is also desirable that the channel leading from the turf surface to the subsurface trench be considerably narrower than the subsurface trench to minimize the cost of 3,6113% Patented Get. 12, 1911 the material required to fill the trench, and to provide as narrow a channel as possible to improve the external appearance thereof. In addition to athletic playing fields, another area where apparatus formed according to the present invention is particularly useful is a golf course and more particularly the putting greens of a golf course, particularly during the winter months. If water is permitted to remain in and around the surface of a putting green, alternate thawing and freezing of this surface water will quickly cause the surface soil to heave in addition to killing the grass.

According to the present invention therefore, there is provided soil drainage trenching and aerating apparatus adapted to be connected with a tractor or the like for propelling the apparatus across a field having soil to be drained and aerated, and comprising a frame, means mounted on the frame for removing subsurface soil to the soil surface to form a drainage trench of a predetermined width, agitable means mounted on the frame and following in the path of the trench forming means for widening a portion of the trench adjacent the bottom thereof to a second predetermined width as the apparatus is propelled, and means for agitating the agitable means.

With the above in view, the present invention consists 0 in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating apparatus formed according to the present invention in operating position, parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate portions, thereof;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational, partly sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary end sectional view, taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1, with an adjacent blade being superposed in phantom to illustrate the rela tionship between the adjacent cutting blades;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective elevational view of one of the cutting blades; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through the soil surface, taken along the line 66 of FIG. 1, and illustrating the completed trench.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, soil drainage trenching and aerating apparatus is shown comprising a frame F including a pair of longitudinally extending side frame members It) and 12, angled toward each other from front to rear as shown in FIG. 3 and connected at their forward and rearward ends by suitable cross members 13 and 14, respectively. Angled upwardly from the forward portions of the members 16 and 12 are braces 15 formed of angle iron, or other suitable material, for mounting an upper hitch member 16 which, together with the lower pair of hitch members 17 mounted on the members 10 and 12, forms a three-point hitch adapted to be connected with the draft links of a tractor which are hydraulically operable in the normal manner to raise and lower the trenching apparatus from a position removed from the ground to the FIG. 1 position. A pair of wheels P, mounting tires 1, is conventionally journalled on an axle 11 which is supported on axle supports A depending from the underside of the members 10 and 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the wheels P support the machine on the turf surface S of the soil to be trenched.

The apparatus includes a trenching wheel, generally indicated at: W, including a disc 20 that is welded or otherwise suitably secured to a shaft 2011 which is journaled in bearing blocks 23 depending from each of the frame members 10 and 12. The disc 20 mounts a plurality of circumferentially spaced, curved earth lifting blades B, alternate ones of the blades B being oppositely pitched and secured to opposite sides of the disc 20. More particularly the plurality of blades B include a first set of blades 21 each having a lower flanged portion 21a bolted or welded to the outer periphery of the disc 20, a curved forward cutting edge 210 for cutting through the subsurface soil, and a curved portion 21b which serves as a cup for carrying the subsurface soil to the turf surface S. The plurality of blades B also include a second set of blades 22, alternately interposed with the blades 21, and having similar flanged portions 22a secured to the opposite side of the disc 20 (FIG. and forward cutting edges 22c on curvilinear portions 22b for cutting through the soil. The curvilinear portions 22b are pitched oppositely to the pitch of the blade portions 21b and also serve as cups for removing the subsurface soil to the surface. As shown in the drawings, the blades taper radially inwardly from the front cutting edge 21c and 220 to the rear edge 21d and 22d. The thickness Y of the cutting wheel W may conveniently be /2 inch whereas the cutting Width X of the blades B is twice the width Y, or two inches in the example chosen.

Power for driving the cutting wheel W clockwisely (FIG. 1) in the direction of the arrow a, is provided from suitable power take-off apparatus on the tractor, which is connected with the hitch members 16 and 17, through a suitable power takeoff shaft 25 housed in a protective housing 26 and connected with a suitable gear reduction unit 27 supported on a platform 13 spanning the frame members and 12. A sprocket 28 is mounted on the output shaft 28a of the gear reduction unit 27 for driving a. chain 29, which is also trained around a sprocket 30 fixed to the shaft a. It has been found that driving a Wheel W of appoximately 36 inches in diameter at approximately 300 r.p.rn. is satisfactory for the purposes desired under most soil conditions.

Mounted rearwardly of the cutting wheel W is a trench widening apparatus, designated generally at T, including a spindle 32 fixed in pillow blocks 34 which are mounted on the upper surfaces of the frame members 10 and 12. Depending from a sleeve 36, journaled on the shaft 32, is a blade 38 of substantially the same thickness as the thickness Y of the disc 20. Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the lower end of the blade 38 is torpedoshaped trench widening device for boring out a portion of the trench formed by the wheel W adjacent the lower portion thereof, as shown at 40, which for purposes of example can suitably have a diameter Z which is twice the width X of the remainder of the channel. The torpedoshaped member 41 may comprise a solid member the Widest portion of which has the diameter Z. If the member 41 were merely pulled through the ground so as to bulldoze its way, considerable energy would be required to move the apparatus. In the present machine, a cam arm 45 is connected at one end with the blade 38 by spacer blocks 38a and, at its other end, dependently mounts a cam follower wheel 46 journaled on a pivot pin 46a. The follower 46 is in engagement with an eccentric cam 47, fixed to the shaft 22. As the shaft 20a drives the cam 47 in the direction of the arrow a, the cam follower wheel 46 causes the arm 45 to oscillate longitudinally, thus driving the blade 38 and torpedo-shaped member 41 in a to-and-fro path to the dotted line positions shown in FIG. 1. When the follower roller 46 is at the midpoint of the cam as shown, the blade 38 is substantially vertical and when the roller is on the high point of the cam, the torpedo-shaped member 41 is in its forwardmost position. Consequently, it is not merely the direct pulling force of the tractor which advances the torpedo-shaped member 41 through the subsoil, but the hammering force resulting from the camming action of elements 46 and 47 which is materially effective in achieving this action.

It is important that both the upper and lower surfaces 41a and 41b respectively of the torpedo-shaped member 41 be curvilinear, and more particularly, the lowermost surface 41a is shaped so as to lie along the circumference of a circle having a radius r equal to the distance from the axis 32a of the pivot pin 32 to the bottom of the trench formed by the cutting wheel W. As the torpedoshaped member is moved longitudinally to-and-fro about the axis 32a, the bottom 41a will continue to lie along the circumference of a circle having a radius r. This particular shape materially reduces the drag on the member 41 as it passes through the subsoil to compact the soil about the trench portion 40.

Mounted rearwardly of the trench widening device T is a hopper H, having pins 48 extending from opposite sides thereof journaled in suitable mounting brackets 49 depending from the underside of the frame members 10 and 12. The hopper H is filled with polystyrene granulated foam beads or pellets, stones, or other suitable aggregate P depending upon the type of field being trenched and aerated. For example, if the trenching apparatus is being used in and around the greens of a golf course, the plastic beads or pellets are utilized because of the disadvantageous effect that sharp stones would have on the playing green if they were inadvertently displaced from the trench. The hopper H is provided with a suitable opening 0 at the bottom thereof, and to insure a steady fiow of the trench filling pelletized material from the bottom thereof, an agitating arm 51, fixed at its forward end to the blade 38, is pivotally connected with a pair of ears 50 secured to the forward Outside portion of the hopper wall with a pivot pin 50a. Thus, as the blade 38 is agitated by the up and down movement of the cam follower roller 46, the arm 51 will agitate the hopper H, thus causing the hopper H to pivot about the pins 48 and insure that a steady stream of pellets will be discharged through the opening O. The spacing between the pellets P will permit the flow of water from the surface S to the subsurface, widened trench portion 40.

To prevent the removed subsurface soil from being propelled forwardly onto the tractor, a dirt shield or guard, schematically shown at G, surrounds the upper half of the wheel W. To preclude the trench from partially refilling with the removed subsurface soil, a pair of vertically inclined deflector plates 50 are mounted on opposite sides of the Wheel W by mounts 51 depending from the side frames 10 and 12. As the soil falls from the blades B and guard G onto the upper surfaces 50a of the plates 50, it is diverted to the sides of the trench.

In operation, the soil drainage and trenching aerating apparatus is mounted on the rear of a tractor to be drawn across a field and is lowered so that the wheel W engages the upper surface S of the turf. Due to the nature of the trenching wheel W, it will tend to dig itself into the ground as it proceeds across the field until such time as the wheels P rest on the surface S and the apparatus assumes the position shown in FIG. 1. The rotation of the lower portion of wheel W forwardly (clockwisely in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrow a) forms a cleanly cut trench having a width X without tearing up the turf adjacent the surface. As the apparatus is drawn through the field, the torpedo-shaped member 41 swings in a toand-fro path about the axis 32a to form the widened portion 40 of the trench having a diameter Z. The hopper H is continually agitated by the roller 50 to release the pelletized material P into the trench, thereby precluding the trench from refilling with soil and permitting the surface water to pass through the interstices between the trench filling pellets to the widened portion 40.

It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. Soil drainage trenching and aerating apparatus, adapted to be connected with a tractor or the like for propelling the apparatus across a field having soil to be drained and aerated, said apparatus comprising:

a frame; driven means, including movable soil lifting members, mounted'on said frame for forming a drainage trench of a predetermined width in the soil surface;

agitable means, mounted on the frame in front to rear alignment with the trench forming means for agitable movement in a to-and-fro path relative to said frame, following in the path of said trench forming means for widening a portion of the trench adjacent the bottom thereof and spaced below the soil surface as it is propelled through the soil; and

means for agitating the agitable means in said to-andfro path relative to said frame.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said agitable means comprises means mounted on said frame for swinging movement in said path and said agitating means includes means for swinging the agitable trench widening means in said path.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for agitating said agitable means and said driven means are commonly driven.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said widening means includes means for compacting the soil about said trench portion to form the widened portion of said trench.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said agitating means includes cam means operably connected with said trench forming means and cam follower means cooperating therewith and being operably connected with said widening means to swing the widening means in a to-and-fro path.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said Widening means is generally torpedo-shaped.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said torpedo-shaped widening means swings about a pivot a the lowermost portion of the torpedo-shaped widening means at any one time being spaced from the pivot axis a distance equal to the spacing between the pivot axis and the lowermost portion of the torpedo-shaped widening means at any other time.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including hopper means for carrying pelletized trench filling material and releasing said pelletized material into the trench to facilitate drainage of water from the soil surface through the interstices of the pelletized material in said trench to the widened portion of the trench.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said agitating means includes means for simultaneously agitating said hopper means to release said pelletized material.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said trench forming means comprises generally vertically eX- tending rotatably mounted soil moving means on said frame; and means for rotating said rotatably mounted means so that the lower side of said rotatably mounted means is driven in a forward direction relative to said frame.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said soil lifting members comprise a plurality of curvilinear blades disposed about the perimeter of said rotatably mounted means, each of said blades including a forward soil cutting edge and being tapered radially inwardly, and rearwardly of the direction of rotation.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including means for preventing said swingable means from swinging into the path of said removing means when the apparatus is propelled in a reverse direction.

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said agitable means is movable longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly as it is pulled through the soil.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said agitating means includes means periodically moving said widening means forwardly at a faster rate than said frame rnleans is being propelled forwardly by the tractor or the lie.

15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means for diverting the removed soil from the formed trench.

16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said diverting means includes vertically inclined members slo ing downwardly away from opposite sides of the removing means.

17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said trench forming means comprises rotatable means having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart and oppositely pitched curvilinear blades for removing the subsurface soil to the soil surface.

18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein the rotatable means comprises generally circular plate means for splitting the turf and mounting said circumferentially spaced apart and oppositely pitched blades about the pen'phery thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 978,836 12/1910 Bowslaugh 6l11 3,022,588 2/1962 Brown 37191 3,054,198 9/1962 George et al 37-191 X 3,203,188 8/1965 Evans 6l-72.6 3,514,960 6/1970 Howard 61-72.6

JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

